Labelling station

The HEUFT TORNADO W

- proven technology and clever details

The HEUFT TORNADO W is a labelling machine of outstanding performance for speeds of up to 72,000 bottles per hour. So far so good - of course there are others. But there is a difference in placing trust in proven technology and enhancing proven technology with clever innovations so that the result is a machine which exceeds the highest standards. The engineers at HEUFT have invested a considerable amount of time in the construction and the testing of the machine in order for this to be the case.

The new centring head elements are an example of this: various types of springs were subjected to long-term practical tests. During these tests they underwent approximately 25 million cycles within a few months. Using a TORNADO 54 this represents a label output of about 750 million bottles or three years of production in three shifts. This type of test resulted in several minor improvements to the "TORNADO" concept.

The rotary gears for the bottle platforms are located in the central carousel and the double cam rollers are controlled by a cam system which is adapted to the shape of the bottles. During construction great store was set on being able to replace these quickly for maintenance purposes thereby keeping machine standstill time to a minimum. The supply of lubricant to the complete system is carried out by a self-regulating central lubrication.

However the "chefs" in the HEUFT kitchen have prepared further improvements to the TORNADO e.g. the modular design of the various types. They made sure, as with other HEUFT products, that the individual component groups can be installed at a number of different points on a machine. In this way various parts of the model´s straight and parallel transport as well as the output settings of 36,000, 54,000 and 72,000 are fully interchangeable. With this modular design the future looks rosy: if the machine needs to be changed from a straight to a parallel transport (or vice versa) this presents no problem with the TORNADO 36 or TORNADO 54.

Whilst taking these important principles into consideration during construction the company´s own standards were not forgotten. Therefore the control system used was the proven and user-friendly SPECTRUM. The machine is compatible with all SPECTRUM options (e.g. label check, fill level check, rejection system etc.) without incurring any problems or additional costs.

In accordance with the HEUFT principle whereby the electronics should not be separated from the machine, the control system is an integral part of the machine, thereby reducing its sensitivity to interference to a minimum. A further advantage of this modular design is the saving in materials and time during the installation of the machine: a simple power point suffices!

During construction great value was attached to the durability of all the components. This was put into practice by using stainless steel wherever possible. Other metal parts (e.g. the substructure) were galvanized. Furthermore plastic was used for those parts which come into contact with the containers to be processed. This practical combination of metal and plastic parts not only prolongs the useful life of the machine but also reduces the noise level considerably.

The HEUFT motto also applies to the TORNADO: "the devil is in their detail!"